Johnathan Piron is one of several Dominican players on the Grand Junction Rockies roster. Piron isn’t worried about his inability to speak English. He’s only worried about what he can control, which is his play on the field. In that regard, Piron is doing well, hitting .293 with six home runs and 22 RBI this season.

Laughter, playing help Rockies’ Dominican players find common ground with teammates

Players from two different countries — and numerous states — line the bench of the Grand Junction Rockies’ bullpen.
English and Spanish are commonly spoken, albeit among different groups of players, but there isn’t much crossover. Julian Yan, a Dominican Republic player who returned to Grand Junction as a pitcher this season after spending time with the club as an outfielder in 2012, speaks both languages.
A lot of communication can be lost between players speaking entirely different languages.

With no outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday night, the Grand Junction Rockies trailed Orem 6-0. Jonathan Piron was up to bat, and first-round draft pick Brendan Rodgers waited on deck. … more